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Investing in Safety Makes $ense For Northwest Boring

Looking down on the pine tree-covered mountains of the Pacific Northwest, there are rolling
hills as far as the eye can see. Yet, looking upward reveals a potentially dangerous and familiar
gray fog that can spell disaster for operators not equipped to handle the weather.

"For as much traveling as I do during the year, there are certainly other airplanes I can use
some of the time," said Don Gonzales, CEO and owner of Northwest Boring. "But for safety
reasons – namely icing and perpetual low cloud cover – I need an airplane with deicing capability
and a great safety record."

Northwest Boring is a pioneer in microtunneling technology, a method of drilling small
tunnels underground that minimizes surface disruptions and can be performed via remote
control. The company's tradition of designing and developing new techniques began in 1951,
when Gonzales' father founded the firm. The small, family-owned company employs fewer
than 25 people.

Based in Seattle, WA, Gonzales – the company's chief pilot – has used business airplanes
for years to reach clients in Washington, Oregon and Montana. For example, if the weather
is snowy, rainy or foggy, the 270-mile trip across the state to Walla Walla can take up to 10
hours by car because of the mountain ranges. However, that journey can be done in just over an hour via business aircraft.
Gonzales owned a Beech Bonanza prior to obtaining his King Air 90, but he relies on the twin-turboprop Beechcraft
for its ability to handle the stormy weather found in the Northwest.

The King Air is economical to fly as it "sips fuel" once
above 20,000 feet. Gonzales uses the airplane to visit clients
400 to 500 miles away.

Specific Challenges Call for Specific Aircraft

"We are a small company, and maintaining a King Air 90 is
expensive. Many times over the years that I have owned the
King Air, I have questioned whether I should go back to a
smaller plane, but I need an airplane capable of handling any
weather condition we might encounter," he said.

Around Seattle, icing can occur at just over 1,000 feet,
Gonzales said, and investing in safety equipment should be
the top priority for any operator in the area.

"This is the place to be IFR [instrument flight rules] rated
and have proper equipment," he said. "The Pacific Northwest
has its specific challenges. We seldom have powerful thunderstorms,
but pilots here have little problem finding weather
in which to stay current with their IFR skills."

He recalls one experience where he and a fellow pilot took
off in similar directions, heading east out of Seattle. But the
four souls on the other plane did not make it back home.

Both were heading on the same departure path for about
80 miles out of Boeing Field (BFI) in Seattle, where Gonzales'
plane is hangared.

"I'm firing my engines up, and he's putting the gear in his
airplane. We both have the same standard instrument departure,
and when we got about 10 minutes out, ice started to
build quickly. He could not climb through it. He iced up and
crashed. We couldn't believe the news when we landed, but
sure enough, his airplane didn't have the right equipment to
handle the weather."

"You look at safety first, but then economics and
maintenance costs are factored into the flight department,"
said Fred Bahr, former pilot with Northwest Boring. "We can
easily find someone to do the maintenance we need without
going far. That means we're not spending as much on maintenance
costs and are still able to keep a safe airplane."

Bahr said that because Seattle – and the Pacific Northwest
in general – is a haven of business aviation activity, he
hoped to spool up a training company sometime this year that
focuses on business aircraft. That way, he said, Northwest
Boring staff can help spread a culture of safety and awareness
to other operators and local colleagues.

Know What You Need Before Investing

Northwest Boring's King Air has electric-heated props, along
with pneumatic boots on the wings, to keep ice from forming
and also knock it off when it happens. The plane also has an
electrically heated windshield to prevent ice.

All are features Gonzales views as an investment in safety,
just as he views the airplane as an investment in efficiency
and productivity.

"Business airplanes make sense for our company, and
because of that, I've talked to several colleagues in the area
who have also invested in airplanes," Gonzales said. Passionate
about aviation since he was young, Gonzales happily tells
his business associates about deals he's made and saved
because of his ability to reach clients in a single day.

"I've talked to friends who want to buy a small airplane, and
while that's okay for some people, you have to know where
you are flying to, and what airplane will meet your needs,"
he said. "One friend of mine bought a small, but pressurized
twin-engine airplane, and within a year he needed to trade it
in for a larger aircraft because he needed to reach clients who
were farther away.

"These tools are worth the investment, but only if safety
and maintenance are the first thoughts on everyone's mind,"
Gonzales said.

Pictured above: Don Gonzales, CEO, owner and chief pilot
for Northwest Boring, relies on his King Air 90 to safely reach customers in the Pacific
Northwest.